


Just Like the Constellations

by toobusy2write



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Glam Rock RPF, Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Age of Sail, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Dom/sub Undertones, M/M, Minor Character Death, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-05
Updated: 2013-07-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 10:02:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toobusy2write/pseuds/toobusy2write
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam 'Silver Devil' Lambert—one of the most feared, infamous pirates in the Caribbean and on the high seas—is both intrigued and amused when Tommy comes to him for help.  Apparently no one's told the boy that pirates aren't altruistic in the least.  But then Tommy makes him an offer he can't refuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just to let you know, this is currently a **WIP**. I had several major things happen in my RL the past several months and because of that I wasn't able to finish this on time. The GRBB mods have graciously allowed me to post unfinished, though, so that's what I'm doing. I have a total of 22k+ written already on this and a clear idea of where everything is going. 
> 
> **Additional Warning** : Occasional use of terms that would be considered offensive if used nowadays, but are appropriate to the times  
>  **Disclaimer:** Not mine, not for profit...just borrowing them to get the plot bunny that invaded my brain to shut up already.  
>  **Beta'd by:** vlredreign, aislinn  & Leela  
>  **For:** [Glam Reverse Big Bang](http://glam-reverse-bb.livejournal.com/)  
>  **Setting:** Takes place in the year 1680.  
>  **Artwork:** The gorgeous artwork that's totally responsible for getting me to sign up for two GRBBs when I'd only intended to sign up for one was made by qafmaniac and you can find it on [[DW](http://qafmaniac.dreamwidth.org/290821.html)] or [[LJ](http://qafmaniac.livejournal.com/226045.html)]. She also made an amazing soundtrack that fits the fic and where it's going perfectly, so go, check out her post and leave her some love!
> 
>  **Special Thanks:** To my betas, vlredreign, aislinn  & leela, who had to beta this at the last minute. You guys are amazing and I appreciate you more than you know. <333333
> 
>  **Author's note #1:** The town Tommy's family resides in is named Charles Towne. It was an actual town on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas during the time this fic takes place. About ten years later, it was renamed to the more familiar Nassau, Bahamas in honor of King William III after he came to power.  
>  **Author's note #2:** Historical inaccuracies abound (mostly by design, but occasionally due to conflicting findings during research). Also, there's just enough pirate lingo to give you the flavor of it, but hopefully not enough to trip you up while reading (mainly due to my inability to add more without it affecting the flow of the story). Chapters with words that might be unfamiliar will have notes at the beginning.  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Terms used in this part:  
>  **Beachcomber** – at the time of this fic, it was used to describe a seaman who, not wanting to work, preferred to exist by hanging around ports and harbors and living on the charity of others  
>  **Black Jack** \- a leather tankard, made stiff with a coating of tar, used by dockside pubs and taverns to serve wine and beer  
>  **Cutlass** \- a short, curved, thick sword; the preferred weapon of many pirates because it was more suited to close-quarter fighting when boarding another ship than a long sword  
>  **Dirk** \- A long thin knife used for fighting in close quarters, as well as for cutting rope  
>  **Loaded to the gunwales** \- drunk  
>  **Quartermaster** \- An able-bodied seamen entrusted with the steering of a vessel when entering or leaving a harbor. He is also involved with the use and upkeep of navigational equipment. On a pirate ship, the quartermaster had an almost equal amount of authority as the captain. He was elected and as such was the crew's voice. If a ship was captured, the quartermaster almost always took over the captured ship. He maintained order, settled arguments, and distributed supplies. The quartermaster was in charge of all booty gained and distributed it among the crew.
> 
> * * *

_Island of Tortuga, 1680…_

 

Tommy paused outside the Night's End, a tavern in Tortuga that he'd been directed to by a beachcomber down at the port. He took a deep breath, trying to tamp down on his nerves and prepare himself for what he needed to do. 

The door to the tavern opened and out stumbled a couple of pirates who were loaded to the gunwales, laughing and wearing what were surely spoils taken off whatever ship they'd plundered last. The clothing was much above their station, not to mention the wigs sitting askew on their heads. 

Another group of pirates, dressed just as smartly, but who were still sober, walked past Tommy toward the tavern, taking no note of him as they boasted to each other about their part in their latest conquest. As they pushed the door open and entered the tavern, their voices were quickly drowned out by the loud singing and shouting coming from inside. 

Tommy caught a glimpse of lantern light, gleaming wood and rowdy pirates before the door shut behind them. Instead of making him even more nervous, the sights and sounds of carousing left Tommy reeling with a wave of homesickness for Charles Towne, where his family had lived for the last fourteen years. 

They had settled there when Tommy was ten and his sister twelve, having moved for a fresh start after his father lost his leg serving in the Royal Navy. His father had spent every dime he had to purchase the Golden Pearl, a tavern near the port. Due to his father's decision to cater to the pirate element that seemed to gravitate to New Providence instead of trying to thwart it as most of the other taverns did, the tavern had quickly become a lucrative business, one Tommy had grown up around. 

Truth be told, he was more comfortable around pirates than he was around respectable folk. So, no, his nerves weren't caused by the fact that, once inside, he would be consorting with men most of the world considered criminals of the worst sort. His nerves were, however, caused by what he needed to do. What he'd been asked to do one week earlier by his father back in Charles Towne.

 

_"Thomas, it's the only way. You are your sister's only hope," Ronald Ratliff said, pressing a coin-filled purse into Tommy's hand._

_"But—" Tommy started, only to be cut off._

_"No," Ronald said. "There is no time for argument. I've booked you passage on Captain Milford's cargo ship. He's headed for Tortuga in an hour. Once you're there, go in search of Cole Crofton. He's a fair sort—as fair as buccaneers go, at any rate—and more importantly, he knows us. He may take you at your word that there's wealth to be had if he pursues Olvera's fleet."_

_Tommy stared down at the bag in his hand, knowing from the weight and bulge of it that there were a sizable number of coins inside. "Where did you get this? I thought the Spaniards took everything."_

_"I had it stashed under the floorboards for an emergency. I think this qualifies." When Tommy looked up and met his father's anxious stare, Ronald continued. "They have your sister, Tommy. I'm no use without a leg. You're the man of the house now. It falls to you to save her."_

_Tommy swallowed hard and nodded solemnly. "I will. I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back unharmed."_

_Ronald's eyes glistened with unshed tears and his voice wobbled as he said, "Even if… Even if you are unable to reach her in time, bring her body back to us. Please."_

_Tommy's stomach jumped into his throat as the situation became all too real to him. He was doing this. He was leaving behind his life and his home to venture out onto the high seas on a quest to chase down the men who had captured his sister._

 

Someone bumped into Tommy on his way past, jerking Tommy free of the memory and sending him stumbling sideways. He scowled at the man, who continued on as if nothing had happened. It was an all too familiar happening in Tommy's life. He was always dismissed as not being a threat because of his small stature and thin body. 

The pirates who had entered his father's tavern over the years and thought they could ignore his warnings to settle down and not damage the property had always regretted the assumption. Tommy's hand settled on the hilt of his cutlass out of habit, but then he gave himself a mental shake. He was there on a mission. He had to stay focused. 

Speaking of, he wasn't going to find Cole by remaining outside the Night's End until, well, the night's end. That in mind, he straightened his coat and the knot in his cravat, the ends of which were tucked into his waistcoat, and started for the door.

Tommy stepped through and scanned the main room of the tavern. Unfortunately, although there were several familiar faces among the crowd of pirates making merry, not one of them were Cole or his crew.

Refusing to be disheartened, he marched over to the bar and took a seat. When the barkeep stopped in front of him, Tommy slid a coin across to him and said, "A beer and some information."

The barkeep took the coin and grabbed a black jack. Filling it with beer, he handed it to Tommy. "What information do you need?"

"I'm looking for Cole Crofton. Have you seen him?"

"Who's asking," a man to Tommy's right who he didn't recognize asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"A friend," Tommy said.

The man looked him over. "Cole's only friends are pirates. You've got the weapons and attire of a pirate but not the demeanor."

Tommy opened his mouth to defend himself, but Isaac, a privateer who regularly visited the Golden Pearl whenever he sailed into New Providence and with whom Tommy had become good friends over the years, suddenly appeared at Tommy's side and said, "He speaks the truth, Doug. Leave him alone."

Doug glared at them both but was thankfully distracted by someone shouting his name from across the room.

After he walked off, Isaac took his place at the bar and said, "Good to see you. It's been a while."

Tommy thought back to the last time Isaac had stopped by the Golden Pearl and realized it had almost been a year, actually. "It has, at that."

"So," Isaac said. "Where should I begin? How about with why you're looking for Cole? Or maybe, what you're doing in Tortuga in the first place? Oh, wait. Let's start with why it is, exactly, that you're wearing every weapon you own?"

 

_Silently, Ronald handed Tommy his cutlass, a dirk, and a pistol. Tommy strapped the cutlass on, fastened the dirk to his belt, and tucked his pistol into his belt on the other side. Thanks to his father's lessons and nearly nightly skirmishes between warring pirates in their tavern over the years, he was fairly capable with all three weapons, along with his sword, which he already had on him due to the attack they'd just undergone._

_Ronald put his hand on Tommy's shoulder and said, "I have faith in you, son. You're strong and you're smart. You can do this."_

_"Thank you," Tommy said, trying hard not to get choked up. His father's approval had been all he'd ever wanted. He couldn’t be happy about finally receiving it, though. Not considering the circumstances that had brought it about._

_Just then a crewmember on the ship shouted out a last boarding warning._

_Realizing he wouldn't have time to find his mother and say goodbye, Tommy said, "Tell mother…" He trailed off, so many things going through his head. He had no idea when or if he'd ever see her again. "Tell her I love her."_

_"I—" before his father was able to finish, Tommy heard a familiar voice shouting to him from the crowd nearby._

_"Thomas! Thomas, stop right there!"_

_Tommy turned to find his mother pushing through the crowd to get to him. He stood rooted to the spot as she reached him and threw her arms around him._

_"Don't you dare board that ship," she said, clinging to him for dear life._

_Tommy looked at his father over his mother's shoulder, at a loss for what to do. He'd been brought up to mind his parents, but one was telling him to do one thing and the other something else._

_"Dia, he's Lisa's only chance," Ronald said, coming up to stand behind her, his hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulders._

_Dia held on tighter. "No."_

_"If I could go, I would," Ronald said, sounding broken and defeated._

_Dia finally released Tommy and turned to him. "I know that. And I know you're right. I just can't bear to lose our son, too."_

_Tommy turned her back toward him and offered her a smile that he hoped she believed. "You won't lose me. I promise. I'll come back and I'll have Lisa with me."_

_Dia sucked in a shaky breath and said, "I want to believe you."_

_Tommy cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Then do so. I'm not your little boy anymore. I can do this."_

_Dia reached up and covered Tommy's hands with her own, smiling at him through the tears streaming down her face. "You will always be my little boy, Thomas. Never forget that."_

_Reaching out, she pulled Tommy in for another embrace, this one a goodbye. "Be safe and come back to us, either… Either way."_

_Aware the ship was going to leave without him if he didn't board quickly, Tommy set her away from him and promised, "I will," hoping it was a promise he could keep. With one final look in his father's direction for reassurance, Tommy turned and hurried toward the ship._

 

Trying to shake off the memories, Tommy took a drink from his tankard and winced. It wasn't the best in the world. Definitely not as good as what the Golden Pearl served. 

In answer to Isaac's questions, Tommy said tightly, "Spaniards attacked. They looted the tavern of all our valuables, destroyed everything they couldn't steal, and took Lisa."

Isaac whistled low and signaled to the barkeep for a refill. To Tommy, he said, "Any idea who it was?"

"Marquez Olvera," Tommy said flatly.

Isaac cursed under his breath and shook his head. "That's not good, Tommy."

"I know," Tommy said grimly. 

He'd asked around after the Spaniards set sail and had found out exactly why they'd taken Lisa and what they planned to do with her. The thought made Tommy sick.

"Unfortunately, Cole and his fleet set sail three days ago. They're headed north."

Tommy cursed under his breath. Glancing at Isaac, an idea struck. "What about you? Couldn't you vouch for me with whoever you're sailing under now?"

Isaac shook his head. "I met someone—Sophie—here on Tortuga and gave up that life to marry her. I sold my boat and built a house for us. I'm a barkeep here now. I just finished work."

Eyebrows lifted in surprise at the turn his friend's life had taken, Tommy said, "Congratulations."

Smiling, Isaac said, "Thanks." Pausing to take a drink of his beer, he continued, "You realize not just any handful of ships will do against the likes of Olvera, don't you? You need someone with an extremely powerful fleet, and there are few of those out there. Someone like—"

"Cole," Tommy finished for Isaac, his spirits sinking.

"Or Adam Lambert," Isaac said casually.

Tommy nearly spewed the beer in his mouth everywhere. As it was, he choked on it on the way down. Isaac slapped him on the back until Tommy finally waved him off.

Tears in his eyes and gasping for breath, Tommy said, "You mean the Silver Devil?"

"Aye," Isaac said with some surprise. "You know him? I've never heard of him traveling up your way."

Tommy shook his head. "He hasn't, that I'm aware of. I've heard of him, though. He's…"

When Tommy trailed off, Isaac glanced around and leaned in a little, saying, "A sodomite? Aye. I know."

Shaking his head, Tommy said, "No. I mean, yes, I'd heard, but I wasn't referring to that. I've heard he's ruthless. Deadly, even."

Isaac smirked. "We all are, Tommy."

"But they say he feeds his enemies to the sharks piece by piece, while they _watch_ and then laughs as they scream until their dying breath." Tommy was horrified by the very thought.

Isaac threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Tommy. You must know by now how pirates love to embellish."

Tommy exhaled. "So he doesn't do that?"

"Oh, no," Isaac said. "He does. At least, he did when I sailed under him for a time, just before I met Sophie. But only the ones who truly deserve it. He just shoots his other enemies outright."

Afraid of the answer, but curious in spite of himself, Tommy asked, "Who does he believe deserve such horrific deaths?"

Isaac's eyes hardened a little, speaking to the fact that he agreed with Adam's assessment. "Rapists, for one. While I was with him, he came upon a ship with pirates on board. They'd killed all the men and were using the women shamelessly. Adam's fury was … unparalleled. It was a sight to behold. Slave traders, for another. Half of Adam's crew, at least, is made up of men he's freed from such ships. The captains of those ships die _slowly_."

Isaac paused to take a drink, then continued. "Once, we snuck up on a ship in the fog at night and boarded without them even being aware we were there. Adam caught the captain in his cabin fucking his ten-year-old cabin boy. Most of us couldn't watch what Adam did to him without losing our dinners. Adam made his torture last for _days_ , and in the end, he fed him his own entrails."

Tommy shuddered, although he had to allow, he couldn't find fault with Adam's actions in any of those instances. Additionally, the types of offenses that apparently angered Adam to that degree boded well for getting him to agree to help Tommy, considering what Olvera planned to do with Lisa.

"So," Tommy said. "Where do I find this Adam Lambert? Is he in port here, then? I don't imagine you would mention him otherwise."

Isaac exhaled slowly. "He's here, aye. He and his crew have been here for days. I believe they're setting sail in the morning. There are some things to consider before you seek him out, though."

"Things such as…"

"Things such as the fact that he likes his … lovers to be short, thin, and blond," Isaac said meaningfully, giving Tommy the onceover, stopping at his long blond hair, which was tied back at the nape of his neck, under his hat.

"You think he'll want that? From _me_?" Tommy asked.

Isaac nodded. "I know he will, and Adam is used to getting what he wants."

Tommy snorted. "Maybe, but he won't be getting it from me."

"It's just as well," Isaac said. "You won't be able to get near him anyway."

"Why not?"

"His crew is very protective of him and loyal to a fault. They would lay down their lives for him. He is often in danger when they land somewhere because of his … tendencies and the fact that he refuses to conform to society's standards and hide it, so they don't let strangers near him."

"But you could vouch for me, couldn't you?" Tommy asked.

"I could," Isaac said, "but I won't."

Tommy scowled. "Why not?"

Isaac finished his beer and set his black jack on the bar, then slid off his stool and clasped Tommy's shoulder. "Because your mission is a fool's mission. Even with the power of Adam's fleet and the winds of the gods at your back, it would still take a miracle for you to catch up to Olvera, let alone beat him in battle. You need to face the fact that your sister is lost to you. Go back home. Take care of your parents. You're not meant for a pirate's life, Tommy, and that's what you'll end up with if you sway Adam to take on your mission as his own."

Before Tommy could protest, Isaac gave him directions to his house, squeezed his shoulder, and told him to stop by to meet Sophie before he left. And then Tommy was alone at the bar.

  

  

An hour later, Tommy was still sitting in the tavern, nursing his drink, although he had moved to a table in an out of the way corner. He ran through his options again, but short of convincing Adam to take on his mission, Tommy realized he had no options. He'd asked around a little after Isaac left, and there were no other pirates with a large enough fleet to take on Olvera.

Miserably, he finished his beer and stood to leave, but just then the doors to the tavern opened and a knot of people burst in, each talking louder than the other in an attempt to be heard over everyone else. In the middle of the group was a tall, dark haired man dressed expensively in a white shirt, blue waistcoat, gold overcoat, black breeches, and a rich, black tricorn hat shot through with gold thread. Around his neck, he wore a diamond necklace in some sort of design that Tommy wasn't familiar with but that vaguely resembled an eye. 

Tommy frowned as he tried to place where he'd heard about such a necklace. And then it dawned on him. It must be the Eye of Horus. Only one person wore that. Tommy's eyes widened, and he lifted his gaze back to the man's handsome face. In spite of the fact that he couldn't see if the man had a silver streak of hair on top his head due to the hat, he was sure he was looking at the infamous Silver Devil himself: Adam Lambert.

Without a thought about what he'd say to him or a plan to actually get to him without getting shot or stabbed by Adam's crew, Tommy got up and crossed the room. He didn't get within ten feet. He tried to shout to get Adam's attention, but the noise in the room drowned him out. He lifted his arms to wave at Adam, but an African who was a little taller than Tommy focused on him and narrowed his eyes. 

"Who are you?"

"Thomas Joseph Ratliff," Tommy said, pulling himself as tall as he could. "I need to speak with Adam Lambert."

The man waved at him dismissively. "I've never heard of you. Get lost."

"But—" Tommy started, only to be cut off when the man grabbed him by the front of his coat and pulled him in close.

In a threatening voice, the man said, "You are not getting near him, understand?"

Tommy clenched his jaw and said, "Fine," deciding there was no point arguing with the man. He was fairly confident he could hold his own if it came to it, but he didn't want any bad blood between him and anyone in Adam's crew just in case he ended up garnering Adam's help.

The man eased up his hold and his expression softened, although not by much. Setting Tommy away from him, he said, "Sorry, but we've learned to be careful. You wouldn't be the first to be sent to Adam like a shiny new toy, only to try to put a knife in his back."

"I wouldn't, though," Tommy said defensively.

"You're right, you won't, because you're not getting near him," the man said, and with that, he turned away and caught up with the rest of the group who were now sitting around two tables that had been pushed together, while a bar wench brought them a round of drinks.

Lips pressed together, Tommy headed for the door to go find Isaac. Isaac might have told him no already, but now that Tommy had seen Adam and his help was within reach, Tommy was determined to change Isaac's mind.

  

  

Ten minutes later, he'd found Isaac's house and was pounding on his door. After a moment, the door opened and Tommy found himself staring dumbly at a short, pretty brunette. Figuring she must be Sophie, he said, "Sorry to bother you at this hour, but I need to speak with Isaac. Is he home?"

The woman smiled. "You must be Tommy. I'm Sophie. Come in. He's bringing wood in from the back. He'll be done in a minute."

"Thank you," Tommy said, stepping inside. 

While he waited, she brought him refreshments and some delicious sweet cakes, although he barely touched them, anxious as he was about convincing Isaac to help him. 

Finally, Isaac walked in and smiled broadly at seeing Tommy there. Although his smile disappeared quickly enough when Tommy stood and said, "I saw him tonight. After you left."

"I said no and I meant it," Isaac said.

"Said no to what?" Sophie asked, looking from one to the other.

Wondering if she might help, Tommy said, "I asked him for his help in meeting Adam Lambert."

Her eyes widened a little. "You're a pirate? But I thought…"

"I'm not," Tommy said, shaking his head. "I work in my family's tavern. But I need Lambert's help, and I need Isaac's help to get an audience with Lambert."

"That's low, bringing Sophie into it," Isaac said, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, if you won't see reason, maybe she will!" Tommy exclaimed, losing his temper a little. 

"I am in the room, boys," Sophie said haughtily.

"Sorry," Tommy said. "It's just that I'm desperate. I’m given to believe Lambert's leaving in the morning, and he's my last chance to save my sister. She was taken during a raid on our tavern by marauding Spaniards, and his fleet is the only one currently on the island big enough to take on Olvera's fleet."

"Olvera has your sister?" Sophie repeated, face going pale. She'd obviously heard about him.

"Yes," Tommy said, relieved she understood the situation.

Sophie turned to Isaac and said, "You give him your help right now, Isaac Carpenter, or you'll be sleeping on the floor for the next fortnight at least. Maybe longer."

"Sophie, you don't understand. They're too far ahead already. He'll never catch up. It's a lost cause."

If possible, her expression, which had already been incredulous mixed with incensed, grew even more so on both fronts. "So, if it was your sister, or God forbid, me, would you just give up because it's a lost cause?"

"Of course not, but I'm—I _was_ —a pirate. It wouldn't change me the way it'll change him." Isaac turned to Tommy and said, "If you do this, you will have to take someone's life at some point and it will _change_ you."

Gratitude flooded in, chasing out the anger of a moment before. Stepping up to Isaac, Tommy placed his hands on his shoulders and said, "Thank you for trying to look out for me, but do you honestly think going home in defeat without even really trying wouldn't change me? It would kill me, Isaac. Slowly but surely I'd die a little inside each day, thinking of what had befallen Lisa and wondering if I could have done something to stop it. I have to do this. You can't protect me from it."

Isaac studied Tommy for a long moment before relenting. "Alright, I'll help, but I can't promise anything. I was only with his crew for a couple of months before I met Sophie, and I've been away from them even longer since. I doubt they'll trust me enough to let me vouch for you."

Tommy nodded. "I need a way to get Lambert's attention. I tried tonight, but between the noise and my lack of height, he couldn't hear or see me through the throng of people surrounding him. One of them did take notice, an African a little taller than myself, but he told me in no uncertain terms to go away."

"Did he have an air of authority about him? As if it was his place to send you away?" Isaac asked. Tommy nodded, and Isaac said, "That would be Brian, then, Adam's quartermaster. He's not a bad man, just protective of Adam."

"So how do I get Lambert's attention, then?" Tommy asked, at a loss.

"That's easy," Sophie said. When both men looked at her, she smiled and added, "You get him to come to you."

"Sure…" Isaac said skeptically. "And how do we do that?"

Sophie shrugged. "Adam's a man, yes? With a man's needs?" When Isaac and Tommy both nodded, she continued, "It seems to me Tommy has everything he needs to get his attention. We just need to dress up the packaging a little."

"Dress up the…what?" Tommy asked, bemused, until her meaning registered and his eyes widened. "But I don't fancy him that way."

"Of course not," Sophie agreed easily. "And you should tell him that straight away when you meet him so that there are no misunderstandings about what you're asking from him and what you're willing to give—or not give, as the case may be—in exchange." 

Tommy exhaled. "All right. Tell me what to do."

  

  

An hour later, Tommy was back in front of the Night's End. He'd thought he was nervous before, but it was worse now. He was near to breaking out in a sweat. He had to get this exactly right or he'd lose his last chance to save his sister.

"Maybe this was a mistake," he mumbled to Isaac.

Isaac chuckled. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you told me to shave half your hair off just to make sure you intrigued Adam, even though I told you you'd get his attention just fine without going that far."

Tommy reached up and pulled off his hat, running his fingers over smooth skin. It felt so strange to be missing the hair on each side of his head. He'd left a wide strip on top that he could comb down on either side well enough to mostly cover the bald spots if he wanted, but he was wearing it to one side at the moment to make sure it was noticeable. From what Isaac had told him, Adam didn't stand on convention and he held those who turned their backs on society's expectations in high regard. He figured shaving half his head qualified. 

Sophie had agreed, and had then gone so far as to convince Tommy to remove his waistcoat, too. Men didn't go out in public without their waistcoats. It was akin to going naked, but there he was, in nothing but his white shirt and a black cravat knotted at his neck, just under his collar. He'd insisted on wearing his coat at least, but Sophie had only agreed on the condition that he take it off once he entered the tavern. 

"Are you ready?" Isaac asked.

Tommy nodded, but when Isaac turned to go in, Tommy grabbed his arm and waited for him to turn back before saying, "In case I don't get a chance later, thank you. And thank Sophie for me too."

Isaac nodded. "You're welcome."

Tommy smiled. "You're a lucky man. Sophie is smart and beautiful."

Isaac returned the smile. "I am."

Tommy followed Isaac inside and looked over at the tables Adam and his crew had been sitting around when he'd left earlier. Relieved they were still there, it took him a moment to register what he was seeing, and what he was seeing was more than a little disheartening. Adam was sitting with his back to the wall, arm around a short blond man. They were leaning into each other and smiling. It seemed obvious where things were heading.

"Don't worry," Isaac said, leaning in close. "I've seen Adam chat up men before, and the smile on his face at the moment is completely fake. He's just humoring him."

Sure enough, the man left a few moments later, disgruntled, after Adam shook his head 'no' to whatever the blond had whispered in his ear.

Taking a seat at the bar, Tommy bit his bottom lip, listening as Isaac rattled off suggestions on how to get Adam's attention. And then suddenly, with no further effort on Tommy's part, Adam looked in his direction. Tommy's heart skipped a beat and a weird fluttering feeling danced through his stomach as piercing blue eyes met and held his gaze.

Tommy sat rooted to the spot as Adam got up from his chair and made his way over, shrugging off protests from several of his crew. He stopped right in front of Tommy, and after glancing Isaac's way and saying a quick hello, he turned his attention back to Tommy and simply stared at him for a long moment. 

When Tommy didn't look away or shrink back from Adam's bold approach, Adam's lips curled into a smile and he reached out, flicking a finger through the tumble of hair falling over one side of Tommy's face. Tommy had tried to tie back what he had left after shaving and cutting, but Isaac had cut it just a bit too short for Tommy's leather thong to hold it, so he'd left it down.

"Interesting haircut. Is it the new fashion in Europe?"

"I wouldn't know. Never been," Tommy said.

Adam's eyebrows lifted. "Is that right? So you just felt like you had too much hair on your head and needed to get rid of half of it?"

Tommy shrugged. "Something like that."

Adam's grin widened. "Forgive me for forgetting my manners. I'm Adam Lambert. And you are…"

"In need of your services," Tommy blurted.

"Excuse him," Isaac inserted. "He has a lot on his mind right now. Adam Lambert, meet Thomas Joseph Ratliff."

Adam reached out his hand, and when Tommy shook it, Adam said, "Tommy Joe. I like that. And what services, pray tell, do you require?"

Tommy felt his face heat at the implication in the question and the teasing twinkle in Adam's oh-so-blue eyes. "Not those services," he found himself saying. "I need your pirating skills."

Adam quirked an eyebrow. Looking over at Isaac, he asked, "I assume he's trustworthy?"

Isaac nodded his head. "Aye. I've known him for years. He's a good friend of mine."

Adam met Tommy's gaze again. "I'm intrigued. Come. You can buy me a drink while you explain."

Tommy couldn't slide off the bar stool and follow Adam to a suddenly empty table fast enough. He did glance over at Brian, who was scowling at him, and tried to send him a silent apology for circumventing him. He thought maybe Brian got the message because his scowl eased up somewhat and he backed off, going over to where Isaac was, presumably to sit and catch up.

Once they were seated, Tommy cleared his throat and said, "Just to be clear, I'm only interested in your pirating skills and the power of your fleet. Nothing else."

Adam's grin unexpectedly widened. "That's a shame, but I appreciate the honesty. May I ask why?"

"Excuse me?" Tommy said, not having expected that question. 

Adam eased back in his chair as drinks were set before them. After the bar wench left, Adam asked, "Is it something about me or pirates in general?"

"Oh," Tommy said. "Neither, actually. My interests lie with women, not men."

"I see," Adam said.

He sounded slightly skeptical, but that was neither here nor there as far as Tommy was concerned. As long as he got Adam to agree to help him with his sister, Adam could believe whatever he wanted about Tommy.

Lifting his drink to his lips, Adam said, "Let's hear it, then."

Tommy nodded. "My family and I own a tavern in Charles Towne. A little over a week ago, Spaniards raided the coastline. They stole everything they could take with them and destroyed the rest. They even took prisoners." Tommy noticed the way Adam tensed slightly at that and felt heartened by it. Holding Adam's gaze, Tommy said, "My sister, Lisa, was one of them. I need your help to rescue her."

Adam's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one on Tortuga with a fleet powerful enough to take on the bastards who did this. I actually came here looking for Cole Crofton, but apparently he set sail for the north three days ago. Isaac recommended you, and that's good enough for me. So here I am."

"Who was in charge of the raid and what direction did they set off in afterwards?" Adam asked, suddenly all business.

"Marquez Olvera led the raid, and she was taken to his ship. I didn't see what direction they set sail in, but I asked around and was told he was headed for Morocco. There's a … sultan there with a taste for young, blonde virgins," Tommy said, having to spit out the last part past the revulsion climbing up his throat as he considered what might be happening to his sister right that minute.

Apparently his thoughts were clearly displayed on his face, because Adam straightened in his seat and leaned his elbows on the table. Brushing his fingers over the back of Tommy's hand, Adam said, "The good news is that your sister is safe, for now. I've heard of this sultan, and he won't purchase her unless she's a virgin. So if Olvera wants his gold, he'll keep his hands off her and make sure everyone on his crew does the same. I know Olvera. He's much more driven by a lust for wealth than a lust for flesh."

Adam's words were meant to put his mind at ease, at least for the moment, but all they did was scare Tommy more. "What if…" he started, then trailed off, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"What if…" Adam prompted when Tommy didn't continue.

Taking a deep breath, Tommy said, "What if she's not a virgin? Even though she looks like a teenager, she's not. She's twenty-six and a widow."

Adam sat back in his seat again and shook his head, expression grim. "Then, for her sake, I hope she's smart enough to figure out the situation and play along for as long as she can."

Tommy swallowed hard. "And if she doesn't? She's headstrong. I fear her mouth will get in the way of her common sense."

"Then when you do manage to catch up to Olvera, you may find he's disposed of your sister, or worse," Adam replied honestly.

"How could…" Tommy trailed off, remembering what Isaac had said about the pirates Adam's fleet had come upon one time, using the captured women for their pleasure. Forgetting himself, he reached across the table and grabbed hold of Adam's hand. "Please. You have to help me. _Please_."

Adam stared at him for a long moment before giving Tommy's hand a squeeze and pulling free of his grip. He shook his head slowly, looking like he'd rather be doing anything else other than turning Tommy down. It didn't soften the blow at all, though, when his words backed up his expression.

"I'm sorry, Tommy Joe, but I can't. Even if they weren't already so far ahead that it would take a stroke of luck to catch up with them, Olvera is a formidable opponent. My crew would need a very good reason to actively seek them out, and unfortunately, one woman's fate is not enough."

Tommy had been prepared for that argument. It was well known that pirate captains ran their fleets democratically, giving everyone a vote. He knew he'd have to convince more than just Adam.

"What about a fortune in gold and gems? Would that be enough, along with several women's' fates? Lisa wasn't the only woman taken. She was one of six."

Adam studied Tommy for a long moment. "Maybe. Tell me more of this fortune."

"From what I was told, Olvera's ships were already sitting low in the water when he raided us. We were an afterthought on his way back across the Atlantic to Morocco and then Spain. He'd been all over the Caribbean, raiding settlements. The wealth he stole from Charles Towne alone would be enough to fund your fleet for months, let alone the wealth from the other settlements."

"You make a convincing argument," Adam said. "One that I could probably get my crew behind."

" _Thank you_ ," Tommy said, getting ahead of himself. "I promise you won't—"

"There's only one problem," Adam interrupted.

"Problem? I don't understand?" Tommy said.

"I'd have to take your word that everything you told me is the truth, and unfortunately, even though my gut is telling me you are being truthful, I won't risk my fleet's lives on simply that. Not when my gut may very well be swayed by my lust for you."

Tommy felt his face heat for the second time since he'd met Adam and cursed his body's strange reaction to him. Before he could think it through, he blurted, "You lust after me?" Adam shot him a look that clearly stated how stupid that question was, and Tommy tried to shake off the embarrassment over his reaction to Adam's admission. "Forget I asked that. What would it take to get you to agree to recommend it to your fleet?"

Adam shrugged. "A down payment would do the trick. Something to put up against the potential profits."

Tommy shook his head dejectedly. "I would if I could, but they took everything my family had. I was only able to book passage to get here because my father had a bag of coins secreted away under the floorboards."

"That's too bad." Standing, Adam lifted his tankard a little and said, "It was nice meeting you, Tommy Joe. I hope you find the help you seek and are able to get your sister back safely."

As he started toward the rest of his crew, Tommy saw his only chance for saving Lisa slipping through his fingers. Choking on desperation, Tommy shot out of his seat and grabbed Adam by the arm, stopping him. 

Adam tensed, and when he looked over at Tommy, the expression on his face reminded Tommy just how dangerous a man Adam actually was. He had to fight the instinct to let go and beg forgiveness. He couldn't do that, though. He couldn't appear weak. He had a feeling weakness wouldn't get him anywhere with Adam.

"Is there a problem here?" Brian asked, having started over the second Tommy grabbed Adam's arm. 

Ignoring Brian to focus on Adam, Tommy held Adam's icy gaze and thought fast. "I have one more offer for you. Please hear me out."

For a long, tense moment, none of them moved. Finally, Adam looked over at Brian and said, "I'll be right over."

Brian nodded and walked away.

Tommy exhaled and glanced around them, realizing they'd attracted attention. "Can we sit again?"

Nodding, Adam returned to his seat. Once Tommy had also, he said, "I'm assuming, since you didn't mention it, that you won't take Isaac's word that I'm telling the truth, even though you trusted him enough to talk to me."

"Isaac wasn't there, was he?" Adam asked. "All he has is your word on it, and besides, he was only with us for a couple of months, six months ago. Taking his word on whether or not you're out to hurt me in a public place for ten minutes of conversation is a far cry from risking my life and the lives of the men under me on his word."

"Fair enough," Tommy said. Swallowing hard and unable to quite believe what he was about to offer, he asked, "Would you accept another form of payment?"

Adam tilted his head a little, clearly curious. "And what form of payment would that be?"

"Me," Tommy blurted out.

"You," Adam said, clearly skeptical.

"Me," Tommy repeated.

"To be clear, I'm assuming you don't mean as a deckhand on my ship." 

"No," Tommy said. "Although I'd be willing to do that, too, if you'd rather. I meant, however, giving you the use of my body for the duration of the voyage as proof I'm telling the truth about everything."

For a moment, Adam looked to be speechless. "You're not serious."

"I am," Tommy said, willing Adam to see that he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to secure Adam's help.

Adam seemed to consider it for a moment, then shook his head with a regretful expression. "As tempting as the offer is, I prefer my lovers willing in the bedroom."

Breathing through the knot of nerves twisting its way around him, Tommy said, "I would actively participate. I swear it. You'd just … have to show me what to do. I've never had relations with a man before."

Adam swore under his breath and shifted in his seat. "You drive a hard bargain. How about a trial run up in one of the rooms? To prove you'll follow through."

Tommy shook his head. "No. If we make this deal, your use of my body doesn't go into effect until we're at sea and I have the proof I need that _you'll_ follow through."

To Tommy's relief, Adam smiled at that. "You're smart. I have a feeling more than just your body shall hold my attention while we're at sea."

Afraid to get his hopes up again before it was warranted, Tommy asked, "Does that mean you'll take me up on the offer?"

"I still need to put it to a vote. But if I know my men, they'll be more than eager to take on a slave trading Spaniard, even a powerful one like Olvera, especially considering the booty to be had."

"Thank you," Tommy said. "Thank you so much. This means … everything to me. Truly."

Adam smiled. "Thank _you_. I'm looking forward to sharing my bed with someone during the long voyage for a change."

Tommy's face heated again, and the strange fluttery feeling was back in his stomach, leaving him feeling awkward and a bit shy. "I just hope I don't disappoint."

"Oh, Tommy Joe," Adam said, leaning forward, elbows braced on the table and fingers laced in front of him. Blue eyes stared intently into Tommy's as Adam said, "Bring that pretty blush and an eagerness to please, and I promise you won't disappoint me."

Tommy's breath caught in his throat, and he found himself unable to look away or even speak as Adam stared deep inside him and straight down to his soul. So instead he simply nodded.

Adam grinned. "Give me time to gather my fleet from the four corners of this town and put it to a vote, then meet me at my flagship, _The Mystic Night_ , in say, two hours. If they won't agree, which is doubtful, I'll come find you myself to give you the news. Agreed?"

"Aye," Tommy said, finding his voice again. "Two hours. I'll be there."

After Adam stood and walked off, Tommy took a deep breath and stared at the table, mind spinning with what he'd just done and what it was going to mean for him. It seemed Adam wasn't going to wait until morning to get underway, which most likely meant that by the time the dawn kissed the horizon, he would no longer be a stranger to a man's touch. 

Before he could work out how he felt about that, Isaac slid into the seat Adam had occupied and asked, "Well? What did he say?"

Tommy lifted his gaze to Isaac. "He's putting it to a vote, but he believes his crew will agree to go after Olvera."

Isaac's face lit up. "Really? Congratulations. That must have been some negotiating job you did. He didn't look like he was going for it at first."

Tommy shook his head. "He wasn't."

Isaac frowned. "What changed his mind?"

"He wanted a down payment to put up against the potential profits in lieu of my word, since I’m a virtual stranger to him."

Isaac's frown deepened. "But from what you said, you're broke. How…"

"I asked him if he'd take an … alternate form of payment," Tommy said, not sure why he was admitting all this to Isaac. Maybe he just needed to say it out loud to make it real in his head.

"Alternate form of… You mean…"

Tommy nodded. "I agreed to let him bed me during the voyage as proof I'm telling the truth."

Isaac's eyes widened in shock. "Does he know you prefer women?"

Again Tommy nodded. "I told him right away when we sat down."

Isaac's forehead crinkled. "That doesn't sound like him, though. He wouldn't want someone in his bed that he had to coerce there."

Tommy shook his head. "But he didn't. I offered." Tommy hesitated, then added, "And I promised to actively participate."

"Son of a… _Tommy_. What were you thinking? Do you think it's going to be easy to fake arousal with another man? He'll have proof enough that it's not working the minute he gets your trousers off you!"

Tommy winced. Glancing around to make sure they hadn't been overheard, he leaned forward and hissed, "Keep your voice down, damn it! And furthermore, if you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it. Otherwise I don't see how I have much of a choice, do I? It's the only thing I could think of to give him that would prove I'm being honest with him!"

Isaac sighed and sat back in his seat. He was quiet for a minute, then said, "Let me lend you the money."

Tommy's eyes widened. "What? No."

"Yes," Isaac argued. "I'm wealthy, Tommy. Much more than you probably think. I only work as a barkeep to keep myself busy and to keep in touch with old friends when they pass through. I've accumulated much wealth over the years. I could give you enough for a down payment. You could pay me back out of your share of the booty once you rescue your sister and seize Olvera's fleet."

Shaking his head, Tommy said emphatically, "No. I won't put you at risk that way, not when I can't guarantee I'll be able to pay you back. Besides, I already made the deal with Adam. I can't back out now. It would only prove to him that I can't be taken at my word. It's done, Isaac."

"Alright," Isaac said reluctantly. "I just hope you don't regret it."

"Me too," Tommy said, glancing over at Adam's table where he was talking animatedly to his men. "Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. Had multiple illnesses making the rounds in my household, and once I'd nursed everyone back to health, I got sick, and yeah. The next chapter won't take as long. 
> 
> Terms used in this part:  
>  **Press gang** – a company of men ordered by an officer to gather fit men (usually men with sailing experience but not always) to serve onboard ships in the Royal Navy; if you were wealthy enough you could buy them off, otherwise, you were forced into service, paid much less than volunteers were, punished severely for infractions no matter how minor, and chained to the ships whenever they docked so that you couldn't desert.

Tommy stepped onto _The Mystic Night_ with equal parts eagerness and fear. Eagerness to get underway and get to his sister, and fear of what the night would bring once they left port and he and Adam were alone in Adam's cabin.

Amid the flurry of activity to set sail, Adam stood on the quarterdeck, calling out orders. Brian stood middeck, directing traffic on and off the boat as supplies were hauled up the side by the crateful. How Adam had managed to not only mobilize his crew but also find the supplies necessary to last them on such short notice, Tommy had no idea. He was more than a little impressed by it, though.

All around them, the harbor was full of ships with equal amounts of activity and shouting going on. In fact, most of the ships Tommy could see in the moonlight seemed to be getting ready to set sail. He wondered if they were all part of Adam's fleet or if it was just a coincidence that others were leaving at the same time. He suddenly realized he'd only thought of Olvera's and Adam's fleets in the abstract. He had no idea what kind of numbers were actually involved. If all these ships sailed under Adam's flag, however, it was clearly a very large number. Much larger than Tommy had expected. 

Luggage in hand, Tommy ventured further onto the ship, staying out of the way as he tried to figure out what he should be doing. On cargo ships it was simple. If he'd booked passage, he went to the guest section of the sleeping quarters; if he'd hired on to work for a time, he went to the crew section. 

Here, however, Tommy somehow doubted he'd be staying with the rest of the crew. He'd offered Adam the use of his body for the duration of the voyage. He hadn't even thought to try to negotiate frequency, meaning he'd more or less given himself to Adam without limits. That in mind, Tommy was fairly sure Adam would want him in his quarters at night so he would have complete access to him. Tommy felt his belly tighten with nerves and something else, something that put him on edge and confused him. He took a deep breath and tried to shake free of the swirl of emotions as best as he could. 

He wondered if he shouldn't just go to the captain's cabin straight away. But even though he'd be out of the way there, he couldn't quite bring himself to take even a single step in that direction. He told himself it was because it would be presumptuous of him to do so, and also that it would be akin to trespassing since he hadn't actually been invited there, but the real reason was that he simply wasn't ready yet to be shut up in the room where he'd be letting a man use his body in a matter of a few short hours. 

Tommy's loitering caught Brian's attention and Brian strode over, stopping in front of him. He stared Tommy down for a moment before saying, "You went around me to get what you wanted."

Tommy held his chin up high, refusing to be intimidated by Brian, even though the glare Brian was shooting at him made Tommy want to turn tail and run for the shore. "I did. I had good reason."

Brian nodded. "Adam explained."

Tommy exhaled at that, but his relief was short lived when Brian took a step closer, bringing their faces inches apart. "Because of that, and because it happened while on land and while you weren't part of the crew, I won't hold it against you. If you even once think of trying something like that on this ship, however, you can be sure you will regret it."

Swallowing hard, Tommy nodded. "I understand."

Brian backed off, expression relaxing somewhat. "Do you know your way around a ship?"

Tommy nodded. "I've sailed among the islands."

"Good. Are you educated, or do you need someone to read the articles to you before you sign them?"

Tommy blinked. He hadn't expected to be signing the Articles of Conduct. Doing so was akin to becoming a pirate himself. He'd assumed he was going to be a passenger who had an arrangement with the captain. He wondered if Brian had misunderstood or if he had.

"It's a simple enough question," Brian said impatiently.

"I'm educated," Tommy said. "I can read, but I didn't think…"

"You thought you'd get a free ride and yet split the profits once we chased down Olvera?"

"Well no," Tommy said, unwilling to explain to Brian the deal he'd made with Adam. 

"Then unless you want to come back with only your sister and none of the wealth stolen from you, I suggest you sign the articles," Brian said matter-of-factly, procuring them from a pocket in his coat and handing them over for Tommy to read. "Also, it will earn you a share in any other prizes we take along the way. You'll receive standard crew rates for those, but there is a provision that will give you an extra share from Olvera's haul as a finder's fee. It was suggested by the captain, and the crew agreed to it."

"Thank you," Tommy said, realizing he had little choice but to sign if he wanted to recover any of his family's lost fortune. 

Unable to believe he was actually standing aboard a pirate ship holding its Articles of Conduct in his hands, Tommy set down his luggage and nervously unrolled the parchment, taking a moment to read through them. They were pretty standard, as far as Articles of Conduct went, at least from what Tommy had heard tell of while working at the Golden Pearl. He found that reassuring, at least, even if the mere idea of signing them made his stomach tighten and his breath catch. 

They outlined the equality of the crew, made the point that no man was above another in station, and laid out their expected share of any booty they attained based on job responsibilities onboard. It also made clear the punishment to expect if they tried to take more than their fair share of any prize. It went on to list injuries and the amount of compensation to expect based on severity. Also, there was to be no gambling on board, lights went out at eight, each man was responsible for keeping his weapons clean and ready to use, no raping of women or children they might come upon, no desertion during battle, and no fighting of a physical nature with each other while at sea. 

The only article that wasn't expected but that should have been, Tommy supposed, given what Isaac had told him, was one forbidding the taking of slaves from slave ships. He knew of other pirates who offered slaves their freedom upon defeating a slave ship, but he'd never heard of any of them drawing up an article expressly forbidding slavery. 

All in all, especially with the addition of the article involving slavery, it was a just way to run a fleet of ships, in Tommy's opinion. More just than how the merchants ran the ships he occasionally hired on with. And based on stories his father had told him of press gangs, poor and delayed pay for most, and harsh punishments for all, it was far more just than the manner in which the Navy conducted their fleets.

"Do you have something for me to sign with?" Tommy asked. 

Brian pointed to a quill and a well of ink sitting on a nearby deck box. Tommy walked over, dipped the quill in the ink, then signed his name at the bottom, below the signatures of everyone else on board. 

And with that, he officially became a pirate. 

For a brief moment, he thought he might be sick, imagining the look on his father's face if and when he found out. Even though Tommy was doing what he needed to in order to rescue his sister and recover as much of his family's wealth as possible, he knew his father would be disappointed in him. This wasn't what his father or his mother had wanted for him. 

This wasn't what he'd imagined for himself, either, except that sometimes, late at night when he couldn't sleep, he had. When he'd lie in bed wishing he could be on the open sea for more than a few weeks at a time, months apart, he hadn't imagined himself as a merchant ship's crewmember, and he certainly hadn't imagined himself in the Royal Navy. No, when he'd pictured a life at sea, he'd imagined himself free to live as he chose and to be with people who felt the same way. By far, the pirate's way of life came the closest to fulfilling that fantasy.

When Tommy handed over the parchment, Brian looked over his signature before nodding his head in satisfaction. "Put your things in the captain's cabin and then come find me for your assignment."

"Aye," Tommy said.

Picking up his luggage, Tommy crossed to the ladder that led below deck. When he reached the bottom, he stepped off and glanced around. Considering most of the crew was on deck preparing to set sail, the crew's sleeping quarters were mostly deserted. 

Hammocks, however, were strung up everywhere, hanging from notched posts. They were stacked three high in most places, but even so, based on how many hands Tommy had seen on deck, there weren't nearly enough to accommodate all the crewmembers. Not that they would ever need to. The crew would sleep in shifts, so all told, they only needed enough hammocks for half the crew at a time. 

Past the stacked rows of hammocks was the door to the captain's cabin. Tommy knew it was the captain's cabin because it was the only cabin. Taking a deep breath, Tommy headed over. He barely looked inside as he set the luggage down just beyond the door. He was too anxious about what would happen there soon to feel much like dallying. 

Closing the door, he returned topside, hoping whatever Brian assigned him didn't involve heights. He loathed heights with the fire of a thousand suns.

   

   

Just as the dawn kissed the sky, Tommy stumbled toward the captain's cabin behind Adam. His palms hurt, having suffered minor rope burns when one of the lines slipped his hold. He'd gotten a better grip on it quickly enough, but he'd suffered the consequences.

He winced at the slight ache in his back and arms as he climbed down the ladder that led below deck. Even though he'd worked on merchant ships whenever he heard of an opening from someone who stopped by his father's tavern while in port, he hadn't done it in a while, so muscles that weren't accustomed to being used were protesting. Add to that the fact that he'd had no time to prepare provisions for a stint at sea as a crewmember, such as acquiring proper coverings to protect his hands, and it was no wonder he was in rough shape.

When they reached the cabin door, Adam stepped aside to allow Tommy entrance. Hesitating, Tommy turned in the doorway and looked past Adam toward the crew's sleeping quarters. Most of them were topside, the changing of shifts still taking place under Brian's guidance, but there were a few who had already come below.

Keeping his voice low, Tommy asked, "Aren't they going to wonder why I'm staying in your cabin?"

Adam smirked. "They may not know the particulars of our … arrangement, but they know my proclivities. They won't be surprised."

Tommy's face heated. 

Adam's smirk turned to a lecherous smile as he leaned in and said in a low voice right next to Tommy's ear, "I see you remembered part of my instructions. You brought that pretty blush. Now, shall we see if you brought the other part?"

For a moment, Tommy's mind went blank on what the other part was, but then he remembered. An eagerness to please. Hell's teeth. Maybe he should have taken Isaac up on his offer.

Eventually, Tommy realized Adam was waiting for him to clear the doorway. Taking a deep breath, Tommy did so, not stopping until he was in the middle of the room. Turning to face Adam again, he stood there, feeling awkward and a little lost for what to do next.

"Relax," Adam said dryly as he closed the door behind him. "I don't bite." He paused, then added playfully, "Unless you ask nicely."

"Oh God," Tommy said.

Adam chuckled as he took off his tricorn hat for the first time in Tommy's presence, revealing the silver shock of hair on top of his head that he was known for. He hung the hat on a hook near the door, then slipped his cutlass and strap over his head and hung those on another hook next to his hat. He removed his belt next and set it on a table off to one side, along with his pistol and dirk. 

Cocking his head a little, Adam said, "In spite of your lack of waistcoat, I think you have too many clothes on. Take off your coat and swords at least. We can work on the rest in a bit."

Tommy nodded, unable to form words just then. He lifted the strap that held his cutlass and sword over his head and set them on the table next to Adam's things, then shrugged out of his coat and folded it, hissing at the pain it caused the palms of his hands.

Adam's forehead furrowed. "You're hurt?"

Tommy shrugged, finally finding his voice. "Rope burns on my hands. I didn't realize I'd be an acting member of the crew, and honestly, even if I had, I don't think I could have procured hand coverings on such short notice. I can't imagine how you were able to gather all the supplies you needed so quickly."

Crossing to a trunk against one wall, Adam began rummaging through it as he said, "There really wasn't much to do. The deliveries were already scheduled for tonight. The only thing we changed was the time we set sail. We hadn't planned on leaving port until morning, but with the lead Olvera has on us…." Straightening, Adam trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid as he crossed to Tommy.

Recognizing the salve for what it was, Tommy held out his hands, sighing in relief as Adam spread the cooling paste over his palms.

Once Adam was done and had wrapped Tommy's hands with strips of cloth he tied off at the backs, Tommy thanked him, meaning it. Adam didn't have to take care of him. That hadn't been part of the deal.

"Don't mention it," Adam said dismissively, putting the salve back in the trunk. 

Closing the lid, Adam turned and walked back over, stopping much too close to be considered decent. Then again, there was supposedly nothing decent about a pirate, and definitely nothing decent about the bargain he'd struck with this one. Correction, the bargain he struck with another one, considering Tommy was now one himself. He'd signed the articles that proved it so. 

"Now," Adam said, reaching out to run the back of one finger slowly down the side of Tommy's cheek, "where were we?"

Thrown by Adam's touch and how strange it was making him feel, Tommy asked dumbly, "We were somewhere?"

Adam laughed softly. "We were about to be." Leaning in and tilting his head a little, he murmured, "Right here, I believe," just before he pressed his lips to Tommy's.

Tommy jerked back a little in surprise, but Adam simply followed, leaning in further to keep their lips pressed together. Body tensed, Tommy stood stiff as a reed as he processed being kissed so intimately by a man. He'd had his share of stolen kisses—among other things—with the fairer sex, but this was something different. Adam's lips were just as soft as a female's, but the fact that Adam was a good bit taller was different and the sensation of someone else's stubble brushing against the skin just above his upper lip was definitely different. Different too, was the feel of Adam's body pressed against his when Adam snaked an arm around Tommy's waist and pulled him in close. 

Evidence of how much Adam was enjoying the kiss poked insistently against Tommy's stomach. Tommy only had a vague idea of what Adam might do with that stiff cock, but all of the options he came up with made his fears rise, until he was fairly choking on panic.

Adam, obviously sensing that Tommy wasn't with him in the way he said he would be, ended the kiss and stepped back, dropping his hands. Disappointment was written all over his face. 

"You said you would actively participate."

"I will," Tommy promised, willing the tightness in his chest to go away.

Shaking his head, Adam said, "I told you I prefer my lovers agreeable. You are very much not."

Adam turned away, and panic over the possibility that Adam would see this as Tommy backing out of his end of things and therefore decide not to pursue Olvera after all pushed aside the fear over what Adam might do to him. 

Despite the pain of his burns, Tommy grabbed hold of Adam's arm to stop him from walking away. "No. Wait. I just…"

Adam turned back toward Tommy, studying his face. "You just what?"

Tommy bit his bottom lip and stared back for a moment before saying, "As I said earlier, I haven't done this before. With a man. I have no idea how any of it works, and I just froze for a moment. I swear, I'll do better. Give me another chance. Please."

Looking resigned, Adam shrugged off Tommy's hand and said. "No. I don't rape and I don't coerce."

Realizing that Adam meant what he said went a long way to abating Tommy's fears. If Adam were that serious about not forcing himself on someone, he obviously wouldn't do or expect anything from Tommy that might be unpleasant or painful. 

With that in mind, Tommy gathered his courage and acted when Adam turned away. Grabbing hold of Adam again, Tommy spun him around and stepped in close, pressing the length of their bodies together. Adam arched an eyebrow but didn't try to move away. Taking that as permission to proceed, Tommy reached up and pulled Adam's head down to his. 

Adam wasn't exactly reluctant, but he didn't seem eager for the kiss either, not that Tommy could blame him. Determined to prove he would live up to his end of the bargain, Tommy pressed their lips together. Adam didn't so much kiss back as stand there still as a statue. His erection was even gone. 

Growling in frustration, Tommy tilted his head a little more and licked along the seam of Adam's lips, hoping to coax him into the kiss. Adam held back for another few seconds before finally opening to Tommy's tongue. 

Butterflies danced in Tommy's stomach at how bold he was being. Pushing it one step further, he licked into Adam's mouth and was rewarded with a groan as Adam chased Tommy's tongue back. Realizing he was enjoying the kiss, Tommy hummed softly and let Adam take over. 

The moment Tommy relaxed against him, Adam wrapped his arms around Tommy, pulling him in tight. Encouraged, Tommy untied the thong holding Adam's hair back and threaded his fingers through the long, nearly black locks. 

Suddenly, Adam spun them around and pressed Tommy back against the door to the cabin. Crowding in against him, Adam nipped at his nose, then kissed his way over Tommy's cheek to his jaw line. Tommy closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side a little, giving Adam access to his neck. When Adam made his way to the spot just behind Tommy's ear that drove him wild whenever one of the wenches at the tavern paid attention to it, Tommy found himself just as aroused by the attention as ever, if not more. He bucked against Adam and gasped in shock as he felt himself start to harden. 

One hand traveled down the side of Tommy's body, pausing at his hip as Adam moved his own hips back a little. Sliding a hand between them, Adam cupped Tommy through his trousers and said against Tommy's ear, "That's more like it."

"I-I … _oh_ ," Tommy said, a shudder crashing through his body. 

He suddenly understood what the feeling he'd experienced the first time he'd laid eyes on Adam had been, and the one when they'd struck their bargain. He'd wanted Adam from the first; he just hadn't recognized it as such because it had been so unexpected. 

Keeping his hand on Tommy's cock, Adam pulled his head back and studied Tommy's face, looking surprised and pleased. "You want this."

Tommy swallowed, eyes wide as he nodded. "Aye."

"You said your interests lie only with women," Adam pressed, apparently needing more confirmation than just the erection twitching in his hand.

Tommy smiled wryly. "Apparently I was mistaken."

Adam grinned. "Apparently."

He leaned in for another kiss as his free arm slipped around Tommy's waist, pulling him away from the door and toward the bed. When Tommy realized that was where they were going, he tensed a little, although he didn't stop kissing Adam. Still, Adam stopped them in their tracks.

"Shh," Adam said, pulling his lips from Tommy's and resting their cheeks together as he whispered in his ear, "I'll make you feel good. Promise."

Tommy nodded against the side of Adam's head, Adam's hair tickling his nose. Trying to relax, he inhaled deeply and caught the scent of the honey and cinnamon Adam had used to lighten the strip of hair on top of his head, and the lavender scented powder he used to make it appear silver, and realized Adam must have dyed it recently. 

Adam released him and stepped back to unbutton his own waistcoat. Tommy stood there dumbly for a moment, watching as Adam tossed it aside and started on his shirt. It wasn't until Adam's shirt was halfway unbuttoned that it occurred to Tommy he should be doing the same.

When he lifted his hands to his own shirt, Adam asked, "Does it hurt your hands to do that?" 

Tommy hesitated then nodded, because it did, even with the salve. Finishing with his own shirt, Adam left it hanging open and stepped in close, reaching for Tommy's hands. Pushing them aside, he said, "Then let me."

Tommy let his hands fall to his sides and found himself strangely aroused by the simple act of Adam undressing him. 

Staring at the expanse of Adam's chest, Tommy blurted out, "You have a lot of freckles."

Adam scowled. "I know. Bane of my existence."

Tommy shook his head and reached up, trailing the tips of his fingers down the middle of Adam's chest. "No. I love freckles." Realizing what he was doing, he dropped his hand back to his side.

Adam grinned, hands still working Tommy's buttons. "Well then, there's more where these came from."

Finally, Adam reached the bottom of Tommy's shirt and it fell open. Tommy sucked in a sharp breath as Adam ran his hands up his chest and over his shoulders, brushing the shirt aside. Frozen to the spot, Tommy simply stood there while Adam's gaze slid over him hungrily before pushing Tommy's shirt down his arms and off. 

Feeling awkward while Adam continued to stare at him, Tommy licked his dry lips and said, "I’m too small and skinny, I know."

"No," Adam said, intently. "No. You're just right." His fingers trailed back up Tommy's arms, pausing to caress his upper arms before moving on to his narrow shoulders and chest, making Tommy shiver. Adam stopped at Tommy's nipples, rolling and pinching them lightly as he added, "Slim and perfect with just the right amount of muscle."

Tommy's face heated, and Adam groaned. "Your blushes are going to be the death of me, Tommy Joe."

"Sorry," Tommy said, feeling his skin heat even more.

Adam chuckled. "That was _not_ a complaint."

"I know," Tommy said. "I'm just not … used to compliments like yours."

Adam frowned. "Then that has been a huge oversight by your past lovers." He paused, his frown deepening. "You have taken lovers before, haven't you? This isn't all completely new to you, is it?"

Tommy shook his head. "No, not completely new, but the women I've been with…" He trailed off, trying to think how to put it. "I'm good for a stolen moment here and there, but women are looking for a tall, strong man to take care of them. They see me and assume I'd snap like a twig if given half a chance."

Adam's gaze met Tommy's and he said fiercely, "Then they're idiots. You may not be tall or broad-shouldered, but there's a strength about you. I saw it last night when we met, and I saw it again earlier when you were handling the rigging. You held your own with men who do this every day. That is not a person who would snap like a twig."

"Thank you," Tommy said, unable to hold Adam's intent gaze. 

He hadn't been fishing for compliments when he told Adam that, and honestly, he wasn't even sure why he'd told him. It wasn't something he liked to dwell on considering there was nothing he could do about it.

Adam curled a finger under Tommy's chin and tilted his head back up so that their gazes met. After staring at him for a moment, Adam lowered his head to Tommy's again, kissing him softly, almost chastely. His hands drifted down to Tommy's waist, and Tommy's heart sped up when Adam began undoing his belt. 

In what seemed like no time at all, Adam had Tommy's belt off and his trousers down. His pants followed, and Tommy had to resist the urge to cover himself. It wasn't the first time he'd been naked in front of another man. There wasn't much modesty on a ship. But it was the first time his cock was hard and the other man wanted to bed him. He still had only a vague idea what that even meant. 

Adam's lips brushed over Tommy's mouth one more time before moving away to place feather light kisses over his cheek and down the side of his neck. Near his ear, Adam murmured, "You're panicking again."

Tommy bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. "I'm trying not to."

"Should I stop?" Adam asked, and even though Tommy could feel Adam's erection pressed against his bare stomach, he knew Adam would if he said yes.

"No. Just... Just go slow."

Adam chuckled, but it wasn't mocking in the least. "If I go any slower, it will be nightfall before we even make it to the bed."

Tommy found himself laughing softly, the panic that had tried to rise up breaking apart and drifting away. 

Turning his face in toward Adam's, Tommy said against his lips, "Then take me to bed already."

Adam pulled back, dropped his trousers and pants, then guided Tommy toward the bed, kissing him the whole way. The backs of Tommy's legs hit the mattress and then he was on it, on his back, scooting toward the middle. Adam followed him, climbing up over him, until he was on his hands and knees above Tommy.

Afraid to look anywhere but Adam's face for fear he'd panic again, Tommy kept his eyes trained on Adam's as Adam let his gaze wander appreciatively over Tommy's body. 

Bracing himself on one hand, Adam trailed a finger down the middle of Tommy's chest, past his stomach, and over to his hip. Curling his hand around it and holding on, Adam said, "I'm going to enjoy having the use of your body very much, Tommy Joe."

Tommy's heart sped up, and he admitted in a mere whisper, "I think I might, too."

Adam's gaze lifted to Tommy's, and then Adam was kissing him again. Deep, dizzying kisses that left Tommy breathless and in need. In need of _more_. More everything. More kisses, more touches, more of things he hadn't even gotten a taste of yet.

As Adam continued to kiss him senseless, he lowered his body to Tommy's until they were pressed together, chest to thigh. It was jarring to have a man's cock digging into his hip. More than being jarring, however, it felt good. Really good.

Tommy moaned and undulated against Adam, trying to get more of that feeling. Adam echoed the moan and suddenly there was a knee between Tommy's, wedging his legs apart. Getting the idea, Tommy spread his legs, allowing Adam to lie between them. It lined up their cocks, and Adam started grinding down against him. 

Tommy whimpered and reached up for Adam, needing contact. His hands closed over Adam's shoulders, but the moment they did, he cried out in pain and let go, having forgotten his burnt hands.

Adam knelt up and grabbed Tommy's wrists. Pressing them to the bed on either side of Tommy's head, Adam said, "Leave them there."

Tommy nodded, but Adam didn't let go, just braced himself on his elbows as he once again settled between Tommy's legs.

"Good?" Adam asked as he thrust against Tommy.

"Aye," Tommy said, eyes slipping shut and neck arching as pleasure pulsed through him.

"More?" Adam asked.

"What more is there?" Tommy asked breathlessly, opening his eyes again.

Adam grinned. "There's a lot more."

As if to prove it to Tommy, Adam began kissing down along the line of his neck again, but this time he didn't stop when he reached the hollow. He kept going, raining kisses over Tommy's chest and belly and further yet, until he was lying on his stomach with his face between Tommy's legs. 

Pushing up onto his elbows and looking down the length of his body at Adam, Tommy held his breath and waited. He'd been pleasured this way before, albeit by women, but truth be told, given the arrangement he and Adam had, Tommy had expected to be the one doing the pleasuring of this sort. 

Leaning down, Adam kissed the hollow of Tommy's hip, then nipped at it, causing Tommy to buck up off the bed with a soft curse. Hands curled around Tommy's hips, Adam pushed him back down to the mattress. For long minutes, Adam held him down and teased him mercilessly, kissing, nipping and licking everywhere but Tommy's cock. 

Finally, Tommy crumbled and begged, "Please. Please just…"

"Please just what?" Adam asked, looking up at Tommy from between his legs. His grin was wicked.

" _Please_ take me into your mouth," Tommy asked between gasps for air.

"My pleasure," Adam said, adding a murmured, "and yours," with his lips pressed against the underside of Tommy's cock.

Tommy whimpered.

Adam's tongue followed his lips, licking along the vein from root to tip. Tommy moaned, eyes rolling back in his head as he collapsed back to the bed, unable to handle seeing _and_ feeling what Adam was doing to him.

The tip of Adam's tongue worked its way into the slit in Tommy's cock and his hips involuntarily bucked, although he didn't get far due to Adam holding him down. Adam licked another stripe up Tommy's cock, then dipped lower to suck at and lick his balls before finally— _finally_ —taking him in his mouth.

"Oh God," Tommy said on a moan. 

Adam's hot, wet mouth slid down his cock and back up again, over and over, until Tommy was panting and writhing on the bed, pinned down by Adam's hands on his hips. Tommy reached up to grab at the top of the mattress, needing something to hold on to, but remembered his hands at the last moment. Frustrated, he put his hands back at his sides, palms down, and clutched at the sheet, not caring about the minor pain it caused. 

Balls tightening and back tingling, Tommy gasped, "Close."

Adam hummed around him and sucked harder. Between the vibrations from the humming and the way he was trying to suck Tommy's come right out of him, Tommy didn't stand a chance. With a cry of completion, Tommy's muscles locked up, head thrown back, body arched, as he emptied himself down Adam's throat.

Adam continued to suck him for another moment before backing off to soft, lazy licks that quickly became too much. When Tommy tried to pull away, however, Adam dug his fingers into Tommy's hips in warning. Tommy stilled, moaning and gasping at the _toomuch_ until he couldn't take it anymore and began begging Adam to stop.

Finally, Adam did, rising up over Tommy with an intense look that reminded Tommy that Adam hadn't taken his pleasure from him yet.

Feeling his face heat even as he spoke, Tommy asked, "Do you want me to do … that? For you?"

Adam's eyes flashed with desire, but he shook his head. "Not this time. Right now, I want you on your stomach."

Tommy's heart hammered in his chest as whispered snatches of conversations and taunting comments by drunken pirates spoiling for a fight flooded his head, giving him an idea of why Adam would want him on his stomach. He wanted to fuck him.

Still, Tommy rolled over, reminding himself that this was the deal they struck. He'd given his body to Adam to use as he wished. He had to honor that, even if it scared the hell out of him.

A kiss to the back of his neck and a whispered, "Relax. I won't hurt you," relieved some of the tension thrumming through him and he exhaled slowly.

"That's it," Adam said, voice pleased as he bussed kisses down the side of Tommy's neck and lowered himself so that his cock was resting along the crack of Tommy's ass. 

Adam groaned and slid his dick up and down the crevice until his cock was no longer sitting on top but snugly nestled between Tommy's cheeks, lubricated by precome. With every thrust, his cock brushed over Tommy's hole, sending little shivers of pleasure racing up Tommy's spine. Spreading his legs, Tommy started pushing back into the thrusts, moaning softly as arousal thrummed through him again. He wasn't hard yet, it was much too soon for that, but he could have gotten hard from the stimulation easily if he hadn't already come. 

Panting in Tommy's ear, Adam stilled and said, "You feel amazing. Put your legs together."

Tommy frowned. He had assumed it needed to go the other way if Adam was going to fuck him, but he didn't argue. Once they had rearranged their legs so Adam was straddling Tommy's, Adam reached over to the short table by the bed and grabbed the small jar of oil there. 

Tommy sucked in a sharp breath as he felt some of the cool liquid drizzle down the crack of his ass and between his legs. He started to pull away, but a hand pressed down on the small of his back and Adam instructed him to stay still. 

Setting the oil back down, Adam braced himself with a hand on either side of Tommy's shoulders. Suddenly, his cock was right there, slipping between Tommy's legs, right up against his backside. Adam thrust down and Tommy felt the head of Adam's dick nudge the underside of his balls. 

Understanding dawned and Tommy pressed his legs together more tightly. He received an appreciative groan for his efforts and bit his bottom lip. The whole act felt disgusting due to the mess the oil was making of his bottom and thighs, but at the same time, he found himself turned on by the perverseness of it. Even the wet noises Adam's cock made every time he thrust it between Tommy's thighs both aroused him and humiliated him in turn.

Dropping down from his hands to his elbows, Adam covered Tommy's back, even as his thrusts quickened. Against Tommy's ear, Adam said, "One night soon, when you're ready, I'm going to fuck your ass, just like this, and you're going to scream with pleasure from it."

Tommy shuddered and moaned, almost able to _feel_ Adam's words. If his reaction to Adam doing this to him was any indication, he had no doubt Adam was right. He would be screaming with pleasure. 

It wasn't long before Adam's thrusts fell out of rhythm and his moans turned ragged, then cut off completely as he thrust one last time and stilled. Tommy's face heated and his cock twitched to life as warm, wet fluid coated his inner thighs and balls, the excess dripping onto the bed under him.

Adam collapsed down on top of him and nuzzled his face into the hollow of Tommy's neck, his spent, twitching cock still wedged between Tommy's legs. "I don't think I'll be moving for a year at least."

Tommy laughed softly, feeling warm all over, and not just because Adam was lying on top of him and seemed to be a human furnace. "Might be hard to captain a ship this way."

Adam snorted. "They can elect a new captain. Brian would be a good choice. He practically runs things as it is when we're not chasing a prize."

"But then you'd have to give up your cabin," Tommy reasoned, a grin on his face.

"Ahh, you have me there. I suppose I shall move after all, then. But not yet. Unless, of course, I'm crushing you."

Tommy shook his head, although in actuality, it was more of a twitch of his head than anything, pinned down as he was. "I'm fine. I actually … like this."

That earned him a kiss to the side of his neck and a murmured, "Good to know." After a short pause, Adam asked, "And the rest?"

"The rest," Tommy said, pausing to gather his thoughts, "was nothing like I expected. Not that I knew what to expect. Not really, anyway."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good," Tommy said decisively. "Very good."

Tommy felt Adam smile against his skin. "I'm glad to hear it."

A comfortable silence filled the room for several minutes. Tommy's eyes drifted closed as Adam's fingers began carding through his hair. It relaxed him even further, and soon he found himself on the brink of sleep. The fingers left his hair and trailed over the shaved part of his scalp. 

"Why _did_ you shave half your head, anyway?" Adam asked quietly.

Pulling himself back from the edge of sleep, Tommy said, "Needed to get your attention. I tried when you first came into the tavern, but you didn't see me. Talked to Isaac, found out you like people who are different, who stand out, so…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"You decided to make sure you stood out," Adam finished for him.

"Aye," Tommy said. 

Adam leaned in and brushed his nose against the bare skin. "I like it. Keep it this way while you're on this ship."

"Aye, Captain," Tommy said, fading fast.

Adam chuckled and rolled to the side. Tommy shivered at the sudden loss of heat and groaned, trying to muster the energy to get up and find something to wipe himself off with. A hand at the small of his back stopped him.

"Stay. I'll clean you up."

Tommy hesitated, but frankly, he was too tired to feel like moving. If Adam wanted to clean him up, who was he to argue? He relaxed down into the bed as Adam climbed off, and spread his legs as ordered when Adam returned with a damp cloth from a bowl of water at one end of the room. Adam wiped away the mess, then climbed back into the bed and curled an arm around Tommy's waist, rolling him away from the nice warm spot he'd created. 

When Tommy grumbled, Adam just laughed and tucked Tommy into the curve of his body, spooning up behind him. "There was a reason we were on one side of the bed. You might have been comfortable just now, but you would have woken up glued to the bed sheets. If you don't want that to happen, you need to sleep on my side with me tonight."

Tommy supposed that made sense. Even though he had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to it than that, he was too tired to work out what it might be, so he snuggled back into Adam's heat and drifted off, warm and sated.

   

   

Tommy woke to afternoon sunlight streaming in the windows near the top of the cabin and the smell of fried eggs and fresh fruit. He'd only gotten a few hours of sleep, but that had been expected. Brian had told him at the start of his shift the night before that in the future, he would be on the same shift as Adam, which was the first shift of the day, but that because their schedules had been adjusted to accommodate setting sail at night, it would take a day or so of half-shifts to return everyone to their proper schedules.

Tommy heard soft humming and tensed, realizing he wasn't alone, although he was the only one in bed. Feigning sleep, he kept his eyes closed as flashes of the night before raced through his head. 

Without the benefit of arousal to quiet questions like how and why and _how_ considering he'd never fancied a man before, Tommy found himself turning the whole thing over and over in his head until the confusion it created started to sour his mood considerably.

"I can hear you thinking from here," Adam said dryly.

Sighing, Tommy rolled over and opened his eyes to find Adam sitting at the table, a breakfast spread large enough for two in front of him, even though it had to be closer to dinnertime than breakfast.

Gesturing at the empty plate and chair across from him, Adam asked, "Hungry?"

Tommy propped himself up on one arm and used his free hand to push hair out of his face. He startled for a moment when he encountered shaved scalp, but then he remembered that part too, and Adam's request—order, actually—to keep it that way for the duration of the voyage.

Realizing Adam was waiting for an answer, Tommy shook his head. "Not really, no."

Adam arched an eyebrow. "It won't be long before the fruit's no longer edible, and the chickens… The crew holds out for a while because of the eggs, but eventually they get hungry for chicken and then we're down to gruel for breakfast. You should enjoy it while it lasts."

"Is that an order?" Tommy snapped, knowing how unfair his tone and the question were even before he opened his mouth. He was confused, however, and it was making him irritable. 

Adam's smile fell from his face. "What—"

A knock on the door kept Adam from asking the rest of the question. Getting up, he crossed to the door and opened it, revealing Brian on the other side. Adam stepped aside, gesturing him in and Tommy's face heated as Brian gave him the once over, taking in his state of undress, his position in Adam's bed, and his clothes strewn about the room. There was no doubt—not that there had been much in the first place—of why he was staying in Adam's cabin.

Giving Tommy his back, Brian said to Adam, "Now that we're underway, the crew wants to speak with you. Everything was rushed last night. There are questions that they would have answered."

Clearing his throat to bring attention to himself, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do just then, Tommy waited until Brian and Adam looked over at him to ask, "Should I be present?"

Brian glanced at Adam, then back at Tommy. Before he could respond, though, Adam said, "You'll stay here until I send someone down for you."

Brian frowned. "He's part of the crew, Adam. He signed the articles. He has every right to be there. Besides, the rest of the crew may have questions for him, too."

"I don't have a problem answering questions," Tommy interjected.

Adam stared at him for a long moment before nodding his head. "Very well. Get dressed and get topside. We'll be waiting."

With that, he turned and walked out, Brian right behind him. 

Once the door shut, Tommy sat up and sighed, wondering not for the first time just what he'd gotten himself into.

   

   

Adam spent the afternoon trying to figure out why Tommy had snapped at him. He had sounded angry. Resentful. But that morning... That morning when they'd retired to the cabin, he had been _so_ responsive. Once he'd gotten past his fears, at least.

At first, when Tommy's body had tensed and Adam had seen the fear in his eyes, he'd been disappointed. Given how eagerly Tommy had offered himself up as proof he could be taken at his word, Adam believed that despite Tommy's claim to only be attracted to women, secretly at least, he must have harbored an interest in men. Adam had assumed that the deal Tommy had offered him had been his way of giving himself permission to follow his urges. Adam had encountered such men before. Men who either felt guilt over their desires or simply didn't want to endure the ridicule of a society that thought two men or two women engaging in sex was somehow evil. 

Adam had no such qualms, but he also recognized that being that forthright about it could be a death sentence, given the laws against it. That was a good part of why he'd turned to piracy. He figured if polite society wanted to put him to death for following his natural inclinations, he didn't need or want them. 

And then he'd met Cole Crofton. Cole had started out as something of a mentor and had become so much more. He'd taken Adam under his wing and showed him the freedoms he could have at sea … and in bed. 

Adam had been in awe of Cole. More than that, he'd been blinded to Cole's faults. That is, until they'd happened upon a slave ship for the first time some months later. Adam had naively assumed they would free the slaves on it once they'd defeated the crew on board and the captain had surrendered, but instead, Cole had divided them up among the men, treating them as just another part of the haul, just another commodity. 

Disillusioned when he couldn't talk Cole out of it, Adam had led a mutiny against him, one that had been aided by the fact that the last three prizes they'd taken hadn't been very lucrative and had cost the crew more than they should have in lives and limbs because of it. The mutiny had been a success, and they had left Cole marooned on a deserted island in the Caribbean. 

Adam had been voted captain and had promptly renamed the fleet's flag ship _The Mystic Night_. His first act as captain had been to free the slaves he'd been given, one of which had been Brian. Then he'd given the other crewmembers the choice of freeing their slaves or following Cole's fate. Almost everyone had chosen to free their slaves and suddenly Adam had had a much larger crew. At Port Royale, which happened to be the first port they'd come across after the mutiny, Adam had given the freed slaves the option to join him or stay behind. Most had joined him. That had been four years ago, and his crew and fleet had been growing ever since.

Adam was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of the lunch bell ringing. He looked over to where Tommy was scrubbing the deck. Just then, Tommy glanced his way and their eyes met. Tommy looked away quickly, an expression on his face Adam couldn't read, but could guess at. 

Adam's jaw clenched. That morning, when he'd thought that maybe he'd assumed wrong and Tommy didn't have any secret desires toward men and was only allowing Adam to bed him in order to secure his help, Adam had been prepared to relegate Tommy to the crew's quarters and release him from their side deal. Regardless of what they'd agreed upon, Adam truly had no interest in forcing or coercing him. He'd been about to tell Tommy that, but then Tommy's forwardness had pushed aside Adam's concerns and the results had been pleasurable for both of them. 

So why, then, was Tommy giving him the cold shoulder today? There was only one reason Adam could think of: Tommy regretted what had happened between them that morning. Given the way Tommy had responded to Adam's touch, his mouth, his body, Adam was confident Tommy didn't regret it because he hadn't enjoyed it, which only left the possibility that he regretted it because he was ashamed of what he'd done—what _they'd_ done. 

Adam had no desire to bed someone who couldn't admit to their urges outside the bedroom, no matter how amazing the sex had been, which left him at a loss for what to do. He'd had a taste of what Tommy had to offer and he wanted more. Desperately. 

It had been a long time, if ever, since he'd enjoyed sex quite as much as he had with Tommy, and he hadn't even fucked him. How could he just let him go now? The thought of relegating him to the role of a regular crewmember bothered Adam. Greatly. Tommy was his now, regardless of his intentions going into the agreement or his regrets about it since, and Adam felt possessive about him. Maybe if he gave Tommy some time, kept him in his cabin but not in his bed, maybe Tommy would come around. That thought in mind, Adam redirected his concentration to the ship and what needed to be done that day. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to go so long between posts again, but I got majorly blocked on this and had to take a step back from it for a bit and work on other things. I've found I get over blocks much faster when I do that than when I try to force it and ignore other inspiration.
> 
> Terms used in this part:  
>  **boatswain** (aka bosun) - on a pirate ship, a crewmember in charge of the ship's rigging, anchors, cables, and deck crew  
>  **sailing master** \- the ship's navigator

Overall, the meeting that morning went well. If the fact that there were several women among the crew was any indication, Adam was not only opposed to slavery, but he believed women were just as capable of serving on a ship as men. And they had just as much say. In fact, the women had had the most questions for Tommy. Thankfully, his answers had seemed to appease them, and the meeting had concluded on a positive note.

As the crewmembers who were gathered dispersed, Brian walked over. Nodding toward Tommy's hands, he asked, "What happened?"

Tommy shrugged. "One of the lines slipped yesterday and I ended up with rope burn while getting control of it again." 

Seeing the way Brian glanced at Adam, then back at him, Tommy surmised he was conflicted over whether or not to treat Tommy as a regular crewmember or tread carefully because of Tommy's relationship with Adam. 

Wanting to set Brian's mind at ease, Tommy said plainly, "I don't expect special treatment because I'm sharing the captain's bed. Moreover, I don't want it."

Looking pleasantly surprised by that, Brian assigned him tasks for the day that would tax his hands as little as possible. 

When Brian walked off, Sutan came up and introduced himself. Tommy felt an instant comradery with him. Sutan apparently felt the same way because he took it upon himself to introduce Tommy to the remaining crewmembers milling around.

"This," Sutan said, indicating a petite woman, "is Ashley, the ship's master gunner."

"Hi," Ashley said with a smile. 

She had long brown hair that was braided in a style that hugged her scalp on one side, giving it the appearance of being shaved from a distance. Tommy had never seen anything like it before, but he liked it. He liked her. She was pretty and seemed nice enough. Under other circumstances, Tommy might have found himself smitten with her.

"Hi," Tommy said, returning her smile.

Next, Sutan introduced him to Terrance, the ship's carpenter, and Taylor, one of the gunners under Ashley's command.

"Sasha!" Sutan called when an African woman walked by. She changed course and crossed the deck to them, and Sutan said, "This is Sasha. She's the ship's boatswain."

Sasha smiled. "Hi. You're staying in the captain's quarters, right?"

Glancing at Sutan and Ashley and realizing from their expressions that it wasn't news to them either, Tommy said, "Yes."

Sasha clapped him on the back. "On behalf of the crew, thank you. He's always so much easier to deal with at sea when he has a pretty boy in his bed."

Tommy's face heated at the teasing glint in her eyes. Ignoring the embarrassment he felt at having the reason he was staying in Adam's cabin stated so bluntly, Tommy flashed her his own teasing grin. "Tell the crew I said they're welcome."

Everyone laughed at Tommy's brazen response, and a grinning Sutan said, "You're going to fit right in."

"Shouldn't all of you be at your stations?" a man with a sour expression said on his way by.

Sutan laid a hand on the man's shoulder, stopping him. To Tommy, Sutan said, "And this breath of fresh air is Neil, Adam's brother. He's the ship's surgeon."

Neil glanced disinterestedly at Tommy and said to Sutan, "And he's Adam's new distraction. So what?"

Tommy blinked, unsure how to react to Neil's comment.

Thankfully, Sasha solved the problem for him. "Don't you have surgeon type stuff to attend to?" 

Neil gave Tommy one last glance and walked off with a shake of his head.

Tommy frowned, wondering why Neil seemed to instantly dislike him.

"Don't worry about him," Sasha said once Neil was out of earshot. "He and Adam had an argument over something stupid before you came on deck. They tend to fight a lot."

The others agreed, and Sutan leaned in a little, saying in a low voice, "We've all decided it's how they show each other that they care."

The crewmembers Tommy didn't have a chance to meet right away, he got to meet later, like Brad, the ship's cook. Brad took one look at him and said with a wink that Adam had outdone himself. 

He met Cassidy, the lead minstrel on the ship, in the early afternoon. Cassidy had stayed below deck to sleep instead of coming to the meeting. He was charged with keeping morale up and fights down on the ship, so his job didn't start until evening on deck and continued below deck once the sun set. As a result he didn't tend to get to bed until the wee hours of the morning.

The rest of the afternoon flew by in a flurry of activity. Thankfully, the salve Adam had put on Tommy's hands that morning did its job and his hands felt much better by evening. Even so, he left the strips of cloth wrapped around them to help keep them that way. 

Unfortunately, as well as things were going with his hands and his workload, they were going in exactly the opposite direction with Adam. Tommy knew it was his fault. Each time Adam looked his way, Tommy looked away, and each time Adam came anywhere near him, Tommy found a reason to be somewhere else. To make matters worse, the couple of times Adam had tried to talk to him, Tommy had cut the conversation as short as he dared and all but ran in the other direction. 

He felt bad about it, but all the same, the confusion he was feeling over what had happened the night before doubled—no, tripled—each time he saw or talked to Adam. He needed time and space to work through the about-face his life had taken in the past twenty-four hours. Nay, the past fortnight. 

A week and a half ago, he'd been nothing more than a tavern owner's son. He'd been settled and happy with a mother and a father and a sister close by—well, as settled and as happy as he'd ever been on land. To be honest, he'd dreamed about sailing on the ocean ever since he was a small child, but his parents had been dead set against it, sure a life at sea would either lead to his demise at the hands of pirates or disease, or lead to the loss of a limb like his father. Still, he couldn't bring himself to ignore his inclinations completely; hence the temporary jobs he took aboard merchant ships every now and again.

And then the Spaniards had come and turned his and his family's lives upside down. Suddenly, his sister was in great peril and his mother and father were sending him off to sea instead of trying to keep him from it. Even more surreal was the fact that he wasn't on just any ship, he was on a _pirate_ ship—having become one himself—and he was having relations with another man. He didn't know what to make of any of it. 

And then another thought crept unbidden and unwanted into his head. He and Adam had never discussed the duration of their agreement. For all he knew, Adam expected Tommy to continue having relations on the voyage back, also. Lisa would most certainly figure out what was going on if Tommy remained in Adam's cabin and in Adam's bed for the journey back home. And in turn, Tommy's father would most definitely find out, since Lisa wasn't known for her secret keeping abilities. 

Tommy had no idea what would happen then. Most likely, his father would disown him and Tommy would have nothing. No, that wasn't true. He'd have his sister back, and even if he were cut off from talking to her, knowing she was alive and safe would be worth whatever price he had to pay. 

By the time the bell calling for lights out rang, Tommy was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He finished his job above deck, then descended the ladder and slowly made his way to Adam's cabin, not looking forward to the night ahead, even though he was certain it would be filled with pleasure. Adam had proven that well enough the night before. No, the act itself wasn't the problem. It was all the confusion and unanswered questions that came with it that made Tommy less than eager to step through the cabin door.

But step through it he did, because over and beyond the fact that he'd given his word, he _did_ find it pleasurable to be with Adam. He _wanted_ to experience more, learn more. Have Adam do more to him and him to Adam. Simply put, he wanted _Adam_. 

Inside, Tommy found Adam sitting on the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. However, instead of beckoning Tommy over to him once Tommy closed the door, Adam grabbed a blanket sitting at the foot of his bed and tossed it in Tommy's direction. 

"I have no need for your body tonight," he said coolly, "so you'll be sleeping on the floor."

Tommy caught the blanket in midair and blinked, confused all over again. "What? Why?"

Adam's closed off gaze met Tommy's. "I told you—"

"I know what you said," Tommy interrupted, surprised to find he was hurt by Adam's rejection. He should be relieved. If he were sane, he would be. So it must have been insanity that caused the next words to spill from his lips, unbidden. "Is it because I didn't pleasure you with my mouth the way you did me?"

The inscrutable expression on Adam's face cracked a little, and his forehead furrowed. "What? No. Why would you think that?"

Tommy shrugged. "I can think of no other reason why you suddenly don't want me in your bed. Unless…" He trailed off, embarrassed to even be thinking of asking the question. The women he'd slept with had all told him he was talented in bed, but perhaps they had just been flattering him because he was the tavern owner's son, or perhaps it was different with a man. It was possible he just wasn't any good at it.

"Unless what?" Adam asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Nothing. Never mind. It's your cabin, your ship. If you don't want me anymore, that's fine, but may I at least sleep in one of the bunks with the crew instead of on the floor in here?"

"No," Adam snapped.

"No?" Tommy asked, getting a bit irritated himself. "You don't want to fuck me, but you still want me in here at night, lying on the hard wooden floor, getting splinters stuck in various body parts and tossing and turning because I'm too uncomfortable to sleep? I didn't agree to that."

Getting up, Adam started for Tommy, asking sharply, "Who said I didn't want you anymore?"

"You did!" Tommy threw back, holding his ground even as Adam came to a stop inches away and towered over him. "You just said you had no used for me tonight. If you wanted me, I should think you'd have use for me!"

When Adam slammed his palm against the wall next to the door Tommy was standing in front of, Tommy jumped. He supposed he should've been wary of the leashed violence in Adam's eyes and in his actions, but given Adam's careful treatment of him the first time they'd had sex, he wasn't. All it did was make him wish Adam would use some of it to throw him on the bed and have his way with him.

Instead, Adam leaned in and said, "Perhaps I just don't want to fuck someone who's going to regret it the whole next day, to the point that he can't even look my way or stand to have a conversation with me in front of others."

Tommy snorted. "If only that were the problem."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Tommy said angrily, "that I couldn't stop thinking about you all damn day. Every task I performed, every step I took, every word I spoke, you were right there, in my head, confusing the hell out of me."

Adam's eyebrows climbed up his forehead a little more with every word out of Tommy's mouth. By the time Tommy was done, they were nearly off Adam's forehead. It would have been amusing if Tommy hadn't been so irritated he wanted to punch Adam.

"You were thinking about me all day?" Adam asked, voice filled with disbelief. 

"I didn't look at you," Tommy continued, ignoring Adam's question, "because beyond my confusion over how much I enjoyed sex with a man, each time I did catch sight of you, I thought about this morning and got hard. I kept remembering your mouth on me and your cock between my legs and your lips on my neck, and I swear to all that's holy that if you don't bed me tonight, I'll most likely expire due to frustration."

And with that statement hanging in the air between them, the room fell silent. They stood staring at each other, until finally, Adam cracked a smile, which in turn caused Tommy to crack a smile, and then Adam was laughing and Tommy found himself laughing, too. They ended up laughing so hard that there were tears in their eyes by the time the laughter petered out and left them with Tommy leaning back against the door and Adam's forehead resting against his. 

Teasingly, Adam asked, "So, you'll expire if I don't bed you, hmm?"

Tommy's grin widened. "I did say as much, didn't I?"

"Then far be it from me to be the cause of your demise," Adam said, leaning in for a kiss. Pulling away, he said, "Strip and get on the bed."

"Aye, Captain," Tommy replied with a flirtatious smirk as he slipped out from between Adam and the door. 

Halfway to the bed, Tommy turned around to meet Adam's eyes. Continuing backwards, he began unbuttoning his shirt, cock twitching as Adam's gaze hungrily devoured each inch of skin Tommy bared.

"You are a tease," Adam said, prowling closer. 

Tommy laughed. "Only if I don't deliver."

Adam pounced just as Tommy shrugged his shoulders free of his shirt. Arms still in the sleeves, he found himself on his back on the bed, arms pinned to his sides, Adam on top of him. 

Tommy moaned, spreading his legs to accommodate Adam. It should probably worry him, how easy he found it to give himself over to Adam like this, but all he could think about was the heat rolling through his body.

Adam leaned in and nipped at Tommy's jaw. Tommy stretched his neck to the side, giving Adam better access, and Adam groaned, taking the offered flesh between his teeth before licking the sting away.

"You like it when I pin you down, don't you?" Adam asked between licks and nips. "You make all kinds of pretty little noises. You did when I pinned your wrists down last night, too."

"Aye," Tommy said breathlessly, hips pushing up into Adam's, trying to tempt Adam to grind down against him. He wanted—no, needed—friction against his cock.

"Hmm," Adam hummed. "Might have to tie you down one of these times, then."

"Oh God," Tommy whimpered brokenly, the mere thought of it making his heart race and his cock throb. "Yes, please."

"Hell's teeth," Adam groaned, giving Tommy the friction he wanted with a roll of his hips. "You're perfect, you know that?"

"Prove it," Tommy challenged.

When Adam bent his head to do just that, however, lips trailing down over Tommy's throat, headed for his chest and beyond, Tommy stopped him. "Wait."

Adam lifted his head, intense blue eyes meeting Tommy's. 

Nervousness and excitement swirled together in Tommy's gut as he licked his lips and said, "Let me this time. I want to. Show me how?"

Adam grinned. "Gladly."

Kneeling up, Adam shrugged out of his own shirt, leaving Tommy free to escape his. Instead, Tommy stayed as he was, enjoying the feeling of being trapped while he watched Adam toss his shirt aside and go to work on his belt and trousers. The night before, Tommy hadn't even dared to look down the line of Adam's body once Adam got naked for fear he'd panic again, but tonight he looked his fill, appreciating the slow reveal of pale, freckled skin. Even Adam's cock was freckled, as Tommy discovered once it was freed from its confines. 

Tommy's thoughts must have been evident in his expression, because when Adam glanced at him, heat flared anew in Adam's eyes. Leaning over him, pinning him again, Adam kissed him hungrily.

When the kiss ended, Tommy licked his lips. "Let me up. I want to taste you."

Pushing his trousers and pants down around his knees, Adam shifted to the side and lay down on his back next to Tommy. Finally free, Tommy bolted upright and quickly shed his shirt. Without even bothering to take his own trousers and breeches off, he rolled on top of Adam, straddling his hips as he kissed him for all he was worth. 

Adam's arms came up around him as the kiss went on and on. Finally, Tommy moved down to Adam's jaw and throat, following the path Adam had mapped out on him the night before. He paused at Adam's nipples, the dip of his navel, the jut of his hip, before eventually making his way to Adam's flushed erection. He hesitated for a brief second, eyes flicking up toward Adam's face, but the heated look Adam shot him put to rest any doubts Tommy had. Slowly, he lowered his head and licked a line up the underside of Adam's cock, curious to see if it drove Adam half as insane as it had driven Tommy the night before when Adam had done it to him. 

"Ahh," Adam said, head falling back to the bed, hips bucking up. 

Reaching up, Tommy took a page from Adam's book and pinned Adam's hips down, fingernails digging into flesh when Adam tried to push against him.

"No choking me," Tommy said.

Adam chuckled. "I'd have to be inside your mouth in order to choke you."

Tommy's eyes narrowed and he opened wide, swallowing as much of Adam as he could manage in one go. It felt…strange, having a cock in his mouth. The shaft was so smooth and so big, much smoother and bigger than a finger or a thumb. The precome that was already leaking from the tip tasted bitter and salty and something else Tommy couldn't place. He pulled mostly off Adam's shaft and wiggled his tongue in the slit, trying to get more, trying to place the flavor, but got an unexpected result for his efforts instead. 

Adam's hands flew to his head and pulled on his hair, even as Adam's hips jerked up hard enough to dislodge Tommy's hold. His cock pushed at the back of Tommy's throat as a result and Tommy gagged, pulling off quickly as tears sprang to his eyes.

"S-sorry," Adam gasped. "I didn't expect—"

"It's okay," Tommy said. Looking at Adam, he asked, "You liked that?"

"Very much," Adam said, hands still in Tommy's hair. Guiding him back down, he ordered, "More."

Tommy's mouth closed around him and he groaned as Adam began guiding his head up and down, telling him what to do and how good it felt. Eventually, gasping and writhing on the bed, Adam warned him he was about to come. Tommy didn't pull off, too caught up in the sounds Adam was making—that _he_ was forcing from Adam—to even consider it. 

A moment later, Adam froze with a strangled cry. Hot, salty come flooded Tommy's mouth. He tried his best to swallow it all like Adam had for him, but he only got a couple of swallows in before he started choking and had to pull off. He could feel it leaking down his face and chin, but he didn't much care. The sated look on Adam's face was worth it.

Adam took a few deep breaths and, hands still in Tommy's hair, guided Tommy over him and in for a kiss. Tommy tried to pull back at first, aware of the mess all over his face, but Adam just growled and yanked harder on Tommy's hair. Giving in, Tommy held himself up over Adam on his hands and knees and pressed his mouth to Adam's. 

Adam moaned, tongue darting out to lick along the seam of Tommy's lips until Tommy opened for him. Adam licked inside and it was Tommy's turn to moan as the kiss went on and on. Eventually, Adam pulled his mouth from Tommy's, only to start licking at the corners of it and down over his chin, cleaning up all the come Tommy hadn't been able to swallow.

Tommy's mouth fell open on a groan and he started panting. Needing friction, he lowered himself down on top of Adam, legs straddling Adam's hips as he ground down against him. Adam groaned and pushed him off. Tommy rolled onto his back and Adam pushed up onto one arm. With his free hand, he reached down and palmed Tommy through his trousers. Tommy cried out and arched up off the bed. 

"O-Off," Tommy said, reaching for the tie at the waist of his trousers.

"No," Adam said, swatting Tommy's hands away before cupping Tommy's cock again. "Like this."

"W-What?" Tommy asked, too aroused to even string a proper sentence together.

Adam's grin was purely sadistic. "You didn't strip when I told you to, or when you had another chance before you sucked on my cock, so now you get to come in your breeches. I'm sure it'll serve as a reminder next time and you'll make sure you're naked before we start to play."

Tommy whimpered, half turned on by the idea of being forced to come in his pants and half disgusted by the thought. "Please. One more chance."

Adam shook his head. "You had your chance. Now your only choice is to come in your pants or not come at all." Suddenly, Adam's hand stilled and he asked, "Which is it?"

Too far gone to even consider the second option, Tommy fisted the bed sheets on either side of him and said through clenched teeth, "I choose to come." When Adam simply arched an eyebrow and remained still, hand cupping Tommy but not moving, Tommy added, "Please, Captain."

Adam's grin was pure satisfaction as he started rubbing Tommy through his trousers again. "Good boy. Come whenever you're ready."

Tommy cursed, pushing up into Adam's hand, unable to believe he was about to do this willingly. It wasn't long before he was on the edge, about to fall over. 

Leaning in, Adam licked along the shell of Tommy's ear, then murmured into it, voice low and husky, "You were so good, down there with your mouth on me. So hot and wet and pretty, sucking my cock." 

Tommy groaned, eyes rolling back in his head, hips thrusting up hard and fast. He was _so_ close. He could feel it in his balls and the small of his back. 

Nipping at the side of Tommy's ear, Adam continued, "Going to make you suck me every day. Going to make you take me a little farther each time, until I'm able to fuck your throat without you choking on it."

Tommy cried out as he came, most likely loud enough for everyone in the crew quarters to hear it, although he couldn't be bothered to care much at that moment. He shuddered as come spurted from his cock, spreading inside his underpants and over his groin in a wet, sticky mess. He'd expected it to feel gross, which it did, but beyond that, it felt … perverse. In the very best way.

Obviously pleased with himself, Adam grinned and continued to rub Tommy, making the mess worse and over-stimulating Tommy's spent cock. 

"Please, no more," Tommy eventually panted, trying to squirm away. "Too much,"

Adam chuckled, but pulled his hand away. Glancing down at Tommy's groin, he said, "You've got a wet spot."

Heat flooded Tommy's cheeks. "Can't believe you made me do that."

One eyebrow flicked up. "Made you? I do believe I gave you a choice."

Sitting up, Tommy snorted. "Some choice. Come in my trousers or go unfulfilled the rest of the night."

Adam laughed. "If you're expecting me to suddenly become remorseful, you're going to be sorely disappointed."

Tommy climbed off the bed, scrunching up his nose as he peeled off his trousers and underpants, using a clean patch to wipe himself off before climbing back in bed. 

"Good thing I have a clean pair in my luggage," Tommy grumped, although he was too sated to actually be irritated. "That was disgusting, by the way."

Adam rolled on top of Tommy and pinned his hands down on either side of his head. "You forget, I heard you moan as I rubbed the mess in and felt the way you pushed up into it."

Tommy turned his head to the side, both embarrassed and aroused by what Adam was saying and how he was holding him down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adam made a clicking sound with his tongue and said, "Either admit it, or I make you put those trousers back on and parade past everyone to go fetch me a bottle of rum from the stores."

Gaze flying back to Adam's, Tommy said, "You wouldn't."

"I would," Adam warned, amusement and something else, something challenging, in his eyes.

Swallowing hard, Tommy stared up at Adam's face and admitted haltingly, "All right. I … liked it."

The challenging glint in Adam's eyes dissipated, and he grinned. "Why, Tommy Joe, you're just full of surprises, aren't you? Who would have thought you'd be a deviant at heart?"

It was Tommy's turn to arch an eyebrow. "I walked into a tavern minus a waistcoat and with half my head shaved. I continued on to offer you the use of my body as proof of my word, even though I'd never had designs on a man before, and you honestly didn't suspect?"

Adam threw back his head and laughed. "Right you are. I should have at that."

Tommy grinned, an unexpected warmth spreading through him as he watched Adam's face light up, knowing he was the reason. Impulsively, he wiggled free of Adam's hold on one of his wrists and reached up to run a hand through Adam's hair, fingers tangling in the silver shock of hair on top. 

"What made you dye and powder just this one patch?" 

Adam shrugged. "I wanted a clear way to signal ships we chase down just who they're about to engage in battle. Since I had already acquired the nickname Silver Devil, my hair was the obvious choice, but if I'd done my entire head, I would have been no different than one of a thousand other men. This way, when I pull off my tricorn just before boarding a prize, the eyes of the men on the enemy ships are drawn to the strangeness of the silver streak. If they've been at sea for any length of time, they've heard of me and what I'm capable of. Since I have a reputation for releasing cooperative crews at the next port I come across, most often, they immediately lay down their weapons and surrender rather than risk a fight. It's very effective for keeping the body and lost limb count of my crew down."

Tommy was impressed. It was a good strategy. Even so, he frowned. "Your nickname came before the silver streak in your hair? Where did it come from then?"

Adam chuckled. "While I was earning my reputation as a pirate captain, I used to talk my enemies into surrendering. I was fairly accomplished at it, if I do say so myself. My crew started calling me a silver-tongued devil in jest, and it stuck. Eventually others picked up on it and somewhere along the way, 'tongued' was dropped and I became simply the Silver Devil. That's when I came up with the idea to dye my hair."

Tommy grinned. "Whatever way it came about, I like it. It suits you. Sets you apart."

Adam returned the smile and reached out, skimming the pads of his fingers over the shaved side of Tommy's head. "As does this, which is why I like it."

Adam stared down at Tommy, his gaze turning intent. Silently, he lowered his head and then they were kissing, a slow, lazy, sated kiss that went on and on, even when Adam rolled to the side, taking Tommy with him. Pushing in closer, Tommy reveled in the full body contact as they kissed and kissed until their lips were chapped and their eyelids were heavy with the need for sleep. 

When finally Tommy drifted off to sleep, it was with Adam wrapped around him and the rock and sway of the boat lulling him as it rode out gentle swells of waves in the mostly calm sea.


End file.
